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CHaryte as I rede is a loue that we sholde haue to god / for as moche as he is almyghty god; also charyte is a loue wherby we sholde loue our neygh-
bour as our-selfe for god. And these be two pryncypall commaundementes of god. The fyrst longeth to þe loue of god / whiche is þe gretest commaundement of þe lawe of god; The seconde longeth to þe loue of thy neyghbour and this is lyke to the fyrst; / & thus thou hast what is charyte and loue. ¶ See now how thou shalt loue god. / thou shalt loue god with all thy herte / all thy soule / & with all vertue, as thus. Whan þou puttest away from the or withstandest with all thy power all thynge that is pleasynge or lykynge to thy flesshe for the loue of þe blessyd flesshe of cryste / than thou louest hym with al thy herte & al thy soule. Of this mater thou shalt her more afterwarde; / but se now ferthermore [why] thou shalt loue hym. ¶ The causes why thou shalt loue god ben without nombre hauynge rewarde to his benefaytes / but two causes we haue pryncypally aboue other. One is for he loue[d] vs fyrst with all his herte and al his soule swetely & strongely. Swetely whan he toke flesshe & blood & became man for oure loue. Strongly whan he suffred deth for loue of man. The seconde cause is / for ther is no thynge that may be loued more ryghtfully ne more proufytable. More ryghtfull is there none than the loue of hym that made man and deyed for man. More proufytable thynge is there none that may be loued than almyghty god / for yf we loue hym as we be bounde / he wyll gyue vs Ioye and blysse without ende / where no thynge lacketh but all thynge is plenteuous and euerlastynge. ¶ Se now how thou shalt knowe whan god putteth grace in the for to knowe loue. Whan the trauayle whiche thou hast for the loue of god is lyght & lykynge to the / than thou begynnest to haue sauour in the loue of god. For ther is no maner trauayle greuous ne trauaylous to hym þat loueth god feruently & trauayleth wylfully for the loue of god. ¶ Also stedfast loue feleth no bytternesse / but all swetenesse / for ryght as bytternesse is syster to the vyce of hatred / right so swetnesse is syster to þe vertue of loue, so that in loue is all swetnesse. ¶ Also the trauayle of louers may be in no maner trauaylous ne greuous. For ryght as hawkers & hunters what euer trauayle they haue it greueth them not for the loue & lykynge that they haue in theyr game / ryghth so what thynge it be that a man loueth & taketh vpon hym a trauayle for that thynge that he loueth, [either] it is no trauayle [to hym] / [or elles] yf it be trauaylous it lyketh hym to haue trauayle for þat thynge whiche he loueth. Take than good hede of these wordes / for yf thou loue god thou wylt gladly trauayle & suffre for þe loue of god; yf thy trauayle semeth than lyght to the / or ellys yf thou louest or desyrest gladly to haue trauayle for the loue of god thou mayst wel knowe that god of his grace hath put in the a begynnynge to come to loue. Whan thou hast suche a gracyous begynnynge withdrawe not þat loue from hym for no maner dysease that may fall to the. For many men & women there be that whyle they be in prosperyte / that is to say / whyle they be in welth & in rest, gladly they wyll shewe loue to god suche as they can: But yf god sendeth hym ony dysease or ony maner of chastysynge, anone her loue swageth; & that is no sadde loue. For who so loueth trustyngly & sadly he loueth as well in his aduersyte as in prosperyte / for what god sendeth to vs it is for our proufyte / therfore be it helth be it wo þat he sendeth we sholde hertely thanke hym &
not withdrawe our loue from hym; for no nede that he hath to our loue / but for grete profyte that we sholde haue to loue hym / & for his grete goodnes that he wyll chastyse vs here all for our better.
Thus than haue I shewed in fewe wordes what is charyte & loue to thy god / howe thou shalt loue hym / why thou shalt loue hym / and how thou shalt knowe whan thou hast grace to conne loue hym. Lerne than thus to loue; & se now ferther-more what proufyte and grace cometh of loue. ¶ In the loue of god ben fyue gracyous thynges: Fyre / lyght / hony / wyne / & sonne.
.I. ¶ The fyrst is fyre, clensynge the soule of all maner vyces thrugh holy medytacyons. .II. ¶ The seconde is lyght, shynynge in the soule with clerenes of vertues thorugh holy prayers. .III. ¶ The thyrde is hony, makynge swete the soule whan he hath in mynde the benefaytes & þe grete gyftes of god almyghty / & yeldynge to hym thankynges. .IIII. ¶ The fourth is wyne, fulfyllynge þe soule with a grete gladnes thorough a swete contemplacyon. .v. ¶ The fyfth is a sonne, makynge the soule clere with a shynynge lyght in myrthe withouten ende, & gladynge the soule with an easy hete in Ioye & blysse euermore lastynge. Thus thou mayst see what proufyte he shall haue that can well loue. God than of his grete grace graunte vs hym so to loue as it is moost to hym pleasynge. Amen.
¶ Now ferthermore I wyll shewe to the as I sayd before / foure degrees of loue, whiche thou mayst kepe & easely come to one after an other yf thou haue good wyll.
FOure degrees of loue there be / the fyrst is called an ordeyned loue or els ordynat loue / that is to saye a loue ordeyned to be knowen and kept of all maner men & women of euery degree in the worlde. To this degree of loue longen .v. poyntes to be kepte. The fyrst is thou shalt loue thy flesshe onely that it be susteyned. The .II. is that thou loue the worlde to no superfluyte. The .III. is that thou loue thy neyghbour for god. The .IIII. is that thou loue thy frende for his good lyuynge. The .v. is to loue thyn enemye for the more mede of god.